How often should you water a houseplant orchid? Grow it this way to make it bloom

As one of the top ten famous flowers, the orchid holds a very high place in people's hearts in our country, and it also accounts for a very large number among houseplants. So how often should you water a houseplant orchid? How should you grow it so it blooms?

I. How often should you water a houseplant orchid?

The orchid is a rather delicate plant, so it needs careful care when grown. Below, the techniques for watering orchids are introduced as follows:

1. The watering interval for orchids

In spring and autumn they grow relatively fast and cannot go without water, so water once a week; in summer the temperature is high and water evaporates quickly, so water once every 3-4 days, but note that if there is a lot of rain, the watering interval should be appropriately extended; in winter water must be controlled, and if the soil is not dry there is no need to water, roughly watering once about every half a month.

2. How to judge whether an orchid needs watering

Whether an orchid really needs watering still has to be judged by yourself. First, you can insert a long bamboo stick (toothpick) into the potting soil for about five minutes; if the stick has moisture on it, there is no need to water, and if not, then it needs watering. Second, lift up the flower pot; if it feels lighter than usual, it means the soil in the pot is short of water and needs watering.

3. The time to water an orchid

In hot seasons, when the evening temperature is relatively high, you can water in the late afternoon or evening, and avoid watering at noon. In winter, for plants that are dormant, be careful to water less. When watering orchids in spring, summer and autumn, it is best to do it before 9 a.m.

4. The water used for watering orchids

Generally, rainwater, pond water, river water and fish pond water are all very good water for watering flowers, or if you keep fish at home, you can also use the water from the fish tank. If you want to use tap water, it must be tap water that has been left in the sun for more than three days.

II. How should a houseplant orchid be grown so it blooms?

The orchid is a plant that likes shade, moisture, fertility and humus, and fears direct sunlight and dryness, so when growing it, careful care is needed for it to bloom with beautiful flowers. Below, the key growing points are introduced as follows:

1. Soil for growing orchids

For growing orchids it is suitable to use sandy loam rich in humus. If it is a wild seedling newly dug up from the mountains, it must be planted in a clay pot, and only after 2-3 years can it be moved into a purple clay pot or porcelain pot. If the orchid was bought from a flower market, it can be cared for directly.

2. Light and temperature for growing orchids

In spring and summer, orchids need to be shaded, or placed at an indoor window facing east or south with good ventilation; orchids that are being shaded should have the pot turned once every half a month so that the orchid receives light on all sides; when autumn comes and the weather turns cool, place the orchid in the sun in the morning; in winter, a plastic film cover needs to be added to maintain proper humidity on the leaf surface. The most suitable temperature for orchids is generally 16-24°C; in summer it must not exceed 30°C at most, and in winter it must not fall below 5°C at the lowest. It is best to keep it indoors to avoid frost damage to the orchid, with 10-12°C being suitable during the day; if it is grown indoors, the windows should be opened often to ensure air circulation.

3. Fertilizer management for orchids

When the orchid sends out new shoots, apply a small amount of light fertilizer; apply fertilizer in the evening around the Spring Equinox and Autumn Equinox and about 20 days after the flowers fade, generally once every 2-3 weeks; spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate once every 20 days. In addition, if the orchid leaves look yellow and thin, topdressing is needed, and if they are black and the leaf tips are scorched, then fertilizing should be stopped. The fertilizer used can be a special fertilizer bought from the market, or it can be decomposed organic fertilizer.